Topkapi Palace

Topkapi Palace was the official residence and main residence of the Ottoman sultans in the city from 1465 to 1853. Now it has been transformed into a museum, showing the past and amazing treasures of the royal life to the world. The palace was ordered to be built in 1459 by Sultan Mehmed II, who conquered the Byzantine Empire. The famous emperor chose this highland on the left side of the Bosphorus, where the magnificent Marmara can be seen. With a panoramic view of the sea and the Golden Horn, its history and grandeur are the jewels of Turkey. There are many historical sites in the old town of Sultan Ahmed, where Topkapi Palace is located, including the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Istanbul Archaeological Museum and other attractions nearby. Entering the Palace Museum, take the streetcar T1 and get off at Gulhane Station, walk to the Hagia Sophia, walk on the inner side road for a few minutes and you will see a gate like a city wall. There is a Rococo style Sultan Ahmed at the door. The III fountain, with a little Islamic style, is more unique. There are many people around and there are many tourists. This is the entrance of the Topkapi Palace scenic spot. There are also soldiers with guns standing on both sides of the entrance. This was originally the gate of the palace at the beginning, when only the sultans could enter and exit, it was called the gate of the emperor. After passing through the gate, you enter the first courtyard, and walking along the path, you can see a Holy Peace Church built in the Byzantine period on your left. Keep going and you will see the ticket office on the right. After purchasing the ticket, you will arrive at the welcome gate. This is a city gate with octagonal towers on the left and right. When you look up, you can see a passage from the Koran engraved on the gate. After passing the security check, we entered the second courtyard. Looking at the large grass and flower beds, standing at the entrance, there is a glass window on the right hand side, showing the scale model of the palace. Before visiting the second courtyard of the Harem is the entrance to the Harem, and the row of rooms on the right used to be the imperial kitchen, and now displays the exquisite ceramics collected by the Sultan. There are more than 10,000 pieces of Chinese porcelain from the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, including more than 40 pieces of precious Yuan blue and white, which are priceless treasures. Here you can enter the harem to visit first. The first thing you see is the eunuch's room, then pass the laundry room, then walk through the corridor and between the various rooms, and then go to the queen mother's room, the residence of the four wives, each has their own world, Life is also protected. The Ahmed III restaurant in the harem is painted with exquisite flower and fruit patterns, the royal hall is decorated with exquisite Chinese porcelain, and the Murad Thirty Secret Room is decorated with brightly colored mosaic tiles, showing Islamic style everywhere. aesthetic. In addition, the quadrangular column in front of the harem built the Tower of Justice, which was used to monitor the urban area and defend against foreign enemies. Passing through the gate of happiness is the audience room in the third courtyard. Back then, the sultan, the grand vizier and the generals discussed politics here four days a week. Today it is a showcase for the museum's collection of precious handmade rugs. On the south side of the third courtyard of the Palace Treasure Hall is the Topkapi Palace Treasure Hall, which houses the treasures and clothes of the Sultan. There are 4 rooms in total, with nearly 200 treasures on display. Except for the collections in the fourth room, the rest of the city Replace regularly. In the fourth room, you can see the fisherman's spoon diamond, one of the largest diamonds in the world, which is a large 86-carat diamond surrounded by 49 small diamonds, set in the shape of teardrops, which is dazzling. You can also see the Topkapi dagger, inlaid with 3 huge emerald gems weighing 3 kilograms, and the deep green seems to have magic. From the treasure hall, there is a small viewing platform overlooking the beauty of the Marmara Sea. The view is very good. You can take pictures with the blue sea behind and the buildings on the opposite bank. Looking at the Golden Horn Bay in the sea view restaurant, you pass through the third courtyard and enter the fourth courtyard. There is a sea view restaurant on the right hand side, where you can enjoy the view and eat, so the business is very good. To the left is the Tulip Garden, where tulips bloom in April and May. At the end is the Baghdad Pavilion, which was built to commemorate the capture of Baghdad in 1638. The interior is decorated with Iznik tiles, which is very ornate. On the edge of the platform there is a small pavilion Yvtaye with a golden roof, from which you can overlook the Golden Horn and the new urban area opposite. The fourth courtyard is relatively empty, and there are benches between the flowers and plants. In a leisurely afternoon, you can even see tourists reading here, and the wind is caressing, which is very comfortable.